[Review] Promise – DOYOUNG (NCT)

Similar to JUNGWOO with SUGAR the other week, DOYOUNG also made a comeback the day after beginning his military service on 8 December 2025. The new single, titled Promise, follows his second studio album, SOAR, led by the single Memory.

Unsurprisingly, DOYOUNG offers Promise as a ballad, a parting gift for his fans while he goes on hiatus to express his gratitude for the love and support he has received. Given his past work, I trust DOYOUNG to deliver an engaging ballad. And he does just that in Promise. The vocal performance in this one is spectacular. DOYOUNG is a formidable vocalist, and so such a performance is definitely within expectation. I particularly liked how his vocals build in Promise, helping create the engaging song as hoped. The melodies were charming, and I liked how they gave Promise some variety, avoiding becoming an overly consistent ballad that just repeats the same elements a couple of times and then calls it a day. As for the instrumentation, the backing is more typical of a ballad, with piano, strings, and percussion. But it complements DOYOUNG by building alongside his vocals. Overall, Promise is a beautiful ballad which I am sure fans and listeners will find comforting.

The music video centres on DOYOUNG returning home (presumably after an extended absence), rediscovering an old houseplant, setting it aside, and then going on with his life. One rainy day, he hears something fall to the ground outside and discovers the houseplant there. He takes it back inside, realising that he has taken it for granted, and begins to look after and care for it. That includes drawing some eyes on the pot (cute) and bringing it around with him as he goes on about his daily life. When it comes time for him to leave again, he realises the conditions will be harsh for the plant, so he builds a contraption to control the plant’s climate. The plant gifts him a flower, which he puts on a ring and takes on his adventures outside the house. At the end, he returns home with the plant, and another flower is in bloom. I think the parallels between the houseplant and his fans throughout the video are apparent, particularly at the end, when his fans will be waiting for him upon his return from military enlistment.

Song – 9/10
Music Video – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9/10